When the winter time comes around, most of our weekend options wither away along with the warmth of summer. We always look forward to Busch Gardens Christmas Town every year. It is a welcome addition to our Christmas traditions. The park closes after Halloween then reopens around Thanksgiving all covered with lights. This year we were very lucky that we had a 75 degree day to go. We picked up Lili's cousin Savannah to bring her along for the fun (who wouldn't want to go see the lights). I had a treat for them, I found lights to light up their strollers. We always make sure we get there for opening (the park will hit capacity on nice days). Our fun starts by visiting the penguins. They were able to get nose to nose :)

We then went to see Santa. There was a very long line (I suggest leaving someone in line and allowing the little ones to go have a snack, hot cocoa or ride the carousel).

There were may places to eat, we choose the diner dash. Good food, and since it is a buffet you get to have a lot of different items. But there are many options for those who like other items (all of which smelled amazing). It is also reasonably priced. The kids love to be able to pick on lots of different foods. There was also a lot of other special treats along the way. My husband got a pork shank that was delicious! If you are able to plan in advance, try to do the Santa Supper. We were unable to get reservations this year, but will try again next year!

The best part of the park this trip was when my daughter saw the nativity scene. She wanted to see the baby Jesus. After she left, she told her cousin the story including the star in the sky. It was very heart warming.

The night lasted until about 9:30 when we made our way to our final ride, the TEACUPS! I can still hear the little ones chanting TEACUPS! TEACUPS! TEACUPS!

It is that time of year, the time of insanity where even the most normal human being becomes a shopping fiend. Must find the popular toy! Must get the best deal! It is also another time of the year, the time to reflect and teach lessons to our children. Lili's preschool fills shoe boxes with presents for unprivileged children around the world.

This year we did 2 boxes, for a little boy and 1 for a little girl. Me and Lili went to the local dollar store, and Lili was able to choose gifts that she thought each child would like. I also used this as a opportunity to explain to her why it is important to help others and that she is a very lucky girl to have what she does. In total her small school sent off 28 boxes! Remember the holidays are about more than just gifts!

What a fun filled weekend. My in-laws had a weekend at their timeshare and invited us to come along enjoy being down in Williamsburg. What made it even more special was the fact that every year they have a special celebration for the arrival of Santa at Yankee Candle. They had hot coco, a petting zoo, music while you waited and a few other fun items (like fun antler ears). We saw the animals, then awaited Santa's arrival by carriage. The girls (Lili and her cousin) were so excited to see Santa. I think a new tradition has been set for the Dunlavey family!

A must do if you are near Virginia.

So I am sad to say, that I have been in Virginia since 2002 and somehow have never been to the Urbanna Oyster Festival. For some reason, I had a preconceived notion of what it was, and I was completely wrong! It is AWESOME! Along the waterway sits a picturesque town of Urbanna that once a year completely shuts down (they close all roads, you park outside of town and walk across the bring to go to the festival). Through the entire town are food vendors and arts & crafts. Unlink other fairs the majority of items that were available were items made by the individuals selling them (I do not like going to craft fairs only to find out that are just selling cheaply made items from foreign countries). They even have a parade! We had many yummy items to eat, and lili go to go in the best bounce house I have ever seen! If you are in the area the 1st weekend in November, plan on visiting Urbanna you will not be disappointed!

While we were in Orlando, we decided to use our platinum season passes to visit Sea World. If you haven't looked into the platinum passes for Busch Gardens I strongly suggest it. We pay monthly and are able to go to all parks (including Water Country, Sea World and Sesame Place). It was a great day, I love watching the shows. There was a new penguin exhibit but we were unable to visit it (not enough time). The best part of our day was the trick or treating. Disney has a special Halloween party, but they charge over $50 per person to go to it. Sea World throws it in. They give you a bag, and you get to trick or treat around 1/2 of the park. This was our second year doing this. Lili thinks it is awesome that she gets so much candy!Now I know there has been a lot of controversy over this past year about the parks. I am proud to support them. Through these parks I gained my love of marine animals. May of you know that I actually went to a high school for the maritime sciences and I worked as a admin there for many years. I will never forget my first time going to Sea World. I was very little, but I remember walking along the paths there and seeing the dolphins and Shamu. One of my last memories of my grand parents together was a trip to Sea World. There is something magical about seeing these amazing creatures. To see them in person only makes me want to protect them more, ensuring that products I am using are not made using them or harming them. I am proud to share the experiences with my daughter. Seeing the sparkle in her eyes as she dangles a fish out above the water to feed the dolphins makes my entire trip worthwhile.

“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught.”.

Lili and me have been having Mommy and Lili days. On each day we choose an activity to do. Recently I offered to take her to paint pottery. She refers to it as pottering. So pottering we did. It is great, we spend about 3 hours there painting. I take much longer than she does so the ipad comes with us so that she can watch a cartoon while I finish mine. I strongly suggest this activity for other parents and their kids. She has been having a bast.

The other activity that we like to do is bowling. They have a great set up for little kids at uptown alley. I strongly suggest hanging out there if you are in the area. Really relaxing and tons of fun!

There are lots of perks to living in the country. I never knew when we moved here that one would be amazing individuals who do kind things for people they don't know. One of the farms down the road every year plants sunflowers for people to stop and cut for free. It is great! for a month we have fresh flowers in the house and they look amazing!

I am but a weepy willow when it comes to my family and life events. At work I am all business, but when it comes to my personal life I am a crier. I cry when sad, I cry when happy, I cry when something tugs at my heart. This past weekend my brother married his better half. And of course I cried! I was incredibly happy for them that they were starting off their life together as husband and wife. They have been together for a long time, and while some say that it is only a paper, they are wrong. It is so much more. It says that legally you are a family, you immediately get rights that you didn't have before. You become a pair that can be refereed to as the X family. As I watched the beautiful bride come down the aisle I started to tear up, she was glowing flanked with her parents on each side. At that moment I remembered my own wedding and how I felt. I thought about what is next in their lives, all the moments that they will share. All the love that is contained in that one ceremony. My brother is much younger than I, it also reminds me about how much older we have all gotten. I sat at a table after the ceremony with our family friends. I remember some of their weddings like it was just yesterday, when in reality it was over 10 years ago. 2 sets were married while I was in college over 13 years ago, 1 was married 11 years ago, I was married 5 years ago.

I also made others cry. I was asked to speak and the wedding. I waited a long time to write what I was going to say. I had been working a lot and wanted it to be special, something personal, something from my heart to theirs:TRUE LOVE True love is a sacred flame That burns eternally, And none can dim its special glow Or change its destiny. True love speaks in tender tones And hears with gentle ear, True love gives with open heart And true love conquers fear. True love makes no harsh demands It neither rules nor binds, And true love holds with gentle hands The hearts that it entwines. There are a few other items that True love is, if may take a few years of marriage but hopefully you will also get to see these true love forms. True love is remembering to take the trash out every Tuesday night. True love is dealing with your spouses addiction to watching TV in bed. But still allowing her to fall asleep to the sound of the TV before you turn it off. True love is holding your spouses hand while you little bundle of joy is being delivered, sometimes way earlier then they should be, spending those first few moments after they are born as a complete family. True love is after multiple years of marriage, still wanting to spend alone time with each other. As we get busier with work and all that life has going on, True Love is wanting to skip a night out with friends, because you would rather spend that time with your spouse. And finally True love is knowing that at the end of the day when you come home from what ever issues you have had, your spouse will be there to tell you that they love you, give you that kiss on the forehead and knowing inside that nothing else truly matters because as long as you have their love, that is all that is truly needed. I wish you many years of True Love. But to my brother and his wife I wish you all the happiness in the world.